Da, zato što, ako, kad: two thoughts in one sentence
You cannot tell about yesterday without "because", "if" and "when". Four links do that work, and three of them behave as you expect. For example: “Не могу да дођем зато што радим” — I cannot come because I am working. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
You cannot tell about yesterday without "because", "if" and "when". Four links do that work, and three of them behave as you expect.
Zato što is because: Ne idem zato što pada kiša. Ako is if, kad is when. The half with the link may come first, and then a comma follows it: Kad stignem, zvaću te.
One rule is new. After ako and kad the future is spoken in the present. Not "ako ćeš biti" but ako budeš; not "kad ću stići" but kad stignem.
The fourth link is da, and it is the big one. It reports a thought: Mislim da je zanimljivo. It stands in for the to-form: moram da radim. And it carries purpose: Došao sam da pomognem.
Table
| the link | what it introduces | example | what to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| da | that; to-; in order to | moram da idem | instead of the to-form |
| zato što | a reason | ne idem zato što kiša pada | like "because" |
| jer | a reason, bookish | ne idem jer pada kiša | the same, in one word |
| ako | a condition | ako budesh slobodan | the future stays present |
| kad | time | kad stignem, zvaću te | the future stays present |
| iako | a concession | iako je hladno, šetamo | although |
By example
- Не могу да дођем зато што радимNe mogu da dođem zato što radimI cannot come because I am working
- Ако буде лепо време, идемо на излетAko bude lepo vreme, idemo na izletIf the weather is nice, we are going on an excursion
- Кад деца порасту, биће лакшеKad deca porastu, biće lakšeWhen the children grow up, it will be easier
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Da, zato što, ako, kad: how does it work in Serbian?
You cannot tell about yesterday without "because", "if" and "when". Four links do that work, and three of them behave as you expect.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Не могу да дођем зато што радим” (Ne mogu da dođem zato što radim) — I cannot come because I am working. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.